Amazing Christmas lights that take a month to put up illuminate suburban street

It's a cracker: Incredible 100,000 festive light display which takes electrician ONE MONTH to build
Stunning festive display in Melksham, Wilts, takes a month to put up and costs 30,000

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UPDATED:

01:57 GMT, 10 December 2012

Alex Goodhind was so determined his Christmas decorations would be the best ever this year, he took more than four weeks off work to prepare them.

And with more than 180,000 bulbs, a searchlight that can be seen for almost four miles and an estimated 1,000 electricity bill for the month, he certainly didn’t disappoint. Indeed, his neighbours say you can see this extraordinary collection from space.

Mr Goodhind, 28, started draping his
house with Christmas lights in 2006 and his displays have already raised
more than 8,000 in donations for the hospice which treated his mother.

Fairy story: With hundreds of lights and figurines it is hard to believe the house isn't part of a film set

He took a break from delighting the locals in 2010 and 2011. But this year the electrician promised his show would be better than ever – adding a snow machine, the searchlight and thousands more lights.

He said: ‘I’ve been collecting lights and decorations for years, so it’s just sort of grown. There are some new pieces I’m particularly excited about.’

Mr Goodhind has had to pay Southern Electricity 700 to lay an industrial strength cable to his home to cope with the drain caused by the display. The lights go on every day from 5.30pm and Mr Goodhind has them switched off at 10pm ‘out of respect to his neighbours’.

His display now features more than 300 strings of lights, 300 metres of rope lights, 145 rope light frames, 18 plastic figures and several large inflatables.

Magical: Coachloads of people flock to take in the Christmas wonderland which takes a month to put up

Colourful: Children stand in thrall of the display which costs nearly 30,000 to put up every year

Mr Goodhind has even installed a snow machine to make the display even more more festive

Mr Goodhind is one of a number of residents on Longford Road in Melksham, Wiltshire, who decorate their houses for Christmas – often for charity. His neighbour Margaret Escott, 69, said: ‘We do ours for the air ambulance as it is nice to give something back to the community.

‘I think you could see Alex’s display from space, there is not a part of that house which isn’t covered in lights.’

After raising 4,000 for the Dorothy House Hospice in nearby Bradford on Avon in 2009, Mr Goodhind took a two year break but he decided to start again and hopes to raise even more for the charity this year.

Despite the coachloads of visitors who flock to the suburban street to catch a glimpse of his display, Mr Goodhind says most neighbours are supportive of his decision to switch on the lights once again.

Vast: Nearly 100,000 lights are used in in the display

He said: 'Some of the neighbours might have been glad when we stopped, but I wanted to do it again, for Dorothy House. My mum was in there before she died, so I've always been keen to stick with them.'

Despite costing him nearly 30,000, he won't be stopping any time soon.

'I've been collecting lights and decorations for more than 15 years, so it's just sort of grown as I add new pieces each year. There are some new pieces in there this year that I'm particularly excited about.'

Luckily, he's got friends like Kim Bailey and fellow electrician Graham Fryer to help with arduous task of completing the job.

Ms Bailey said: 'Alex doesn't like to make a big fuss of it himself, he just does it for the charity.'

Even the CCTV cameras that watch over Mr Goodhind's home get a Christmas makeover